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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · press · tear · degree · safe · chip · pitcher · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. tear — from crying
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. land — to come down
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. degree — from a university
  9. land — ground
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. degree — temperature
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chip — for betting
  19. tear — to rip
  20. degree — an amount
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. press — to push
  24. chip — to eat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com